33rd AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Conference · 2015 · 46 citations · 13 references
EngineeringAerospace EngineeringMechanical EngineeringAerodynamicsPropulsionUnmanned Aircraft SystemsExperimental AerodynamicsPropeller DesignPropeller HydrodynamicsPropulsion System PerformancePropulsion SystemsScale EffectsBlade Element Momentum TheoryBlade Element TheoryMach NumberPropeller PerformancePropeller Performance PredictionPropeller Scale EffectsPropulsion Scale EffectsReynolds Scaling
The authors develop a Blade Element Momentum model for the propulsion system of a small electric UAS, focusing on scale effects absent in full‑scale applications. The model incorporates tip‑loss, Mach, three‑dimensional flow, and Reynolds‑scaling corrections, predicts performance for several commercial propeller geometries, and is validated against wind‑tunnel measurements. Experimental data confirm the model’s predictions and demonstrate that scale effects significantly influence overall system performance.
A model for the propulsion system of a small-scale electric Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) is presented. This model is based on a Blade Element Momentum (BEM) model of the propeller, with corrections for tip losses, Mach effects, three-dimensional flow components, and Reynolds scaling. Particular focus is placed on the estimation of scale effects not commonly encountered in the full-scale application of the BEM modeling method. Performance predictions are presented for geometries representative of several commercially available propellers. These predictions are then compared to experimental wind tunnel measurements of the propellers’ performance. The experimental data supports the predictions of the proposed BEM model and points to the importance of scale effects on prediction of the overall system performance.
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M.T. Boyle · 1988 · 1.4K citations
Tip loss corrections for wind turbine computations
Wen Zhong Shen, Robert Mikkelsen, Jens Nørkær Sørensen et al. · Wind Energy · 2005 · 476 citations · Full text